Desk Correspondent , Bengaluru - DRI has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport, seizing 3.356 kg of high purity gold worth Rs 5 crore. Five individuals, including suspected Bangladeshi nationals and local facilitators, were arrested during a coordinated operation on April 6-7 at Terminal 2.

Acting on precise intelligence, DRI officers intercepted the syndicate exploiting transit routes with extended layovers, using washrooms and smoking zones for covert gold transfers via pre arranged passcodes. The gold was concealed as paste in capsule-shaped packets, hidden in private body parts to evade detection, revealing insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.

The network coordinated via encrypted channels with disappearing chats, linking to a larger cross border operation, investigations continue to dismantle masterminds and foreign operatives. This bust underscores rising smuggling challenges at Indian airports, with DRI vowing stricter measures.